( «22- í
•SJIA R l ' - S I I IM S KI) OR SLATE-COLO I JRED HAWK.
FALCO FCSCUS, G.MEI..
PLATE CCCI.XXIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
T h e k ! Erasure which that ornithologist only cm feel wfco
spends, his d a ^ m seeching for the mateWik best adapted for his
purpose, and which arise., from the contemplation of the ibjeirts he |
anxious to portray and describe, as they roam in freedom ov£ Nature's
wild domains. Aether Jg ^ f e r f g p i g ^ ^ ditell:t
, m m t r U ' * bi. r , I s-?° • » ^ » ¡ ¡ f t J» ' " " " ' ¿ I k th»y
seem as if formed for the purpose, of exercising our fecuIti&Sf observation
and comparison But this p l e a s e passed into pain,' or at least
P i 1 « ^ ^ i n tlu'. ;mu,net ! , two |«,p?d ; f f e r 'so,
sM«h t l -v t h a t ;!»;f cannot clearly define their characters, although they
yet seem t | b e distinct. In fact, I .Wf c l t uncertain whether the
American bild described by Wi r so* under the names ofsharp-shinned
Hawks » d Slate-coloured Hawk, was distinct from the. Sparrow Hawk,
/•'. -Vi«s, of Europe.
I t is mentioned in the Kaima IWealiUimiricann, that a specimen
rf this bird was killed in thef |cmi ty of Mooje factory,' and that it has
.been deposited by the Hudson's Bay Company in the' Zoological Mui
f e ^ i B M L t hire noyjm, ' tut confiding entirely
m the accuracy o^eveqr f a e t menfaoneTby the aurora of that
w o t K ' ™ere adduce it as a proof of the extraordinary range of this
si"3™8 S, America, which from the extreme north extends to our
most southern limits, perhaps far foeyond them, during itt'auturanal
and winter migrations. I have met with it in every State or Territory of
the p n i t p that I have visited. In the spring of 1837,; it was abundant
in Texas, where it appeared to be'travelling eastward. I haye a specimen
procured I.y I)r Towxskx» i„ the neighbourhood of the Columbia
Itivon and. when on n q way towards Labrador, I met with i t S t i -
fully as fill- as the southern .shores of the Gulf of St Lawrence, 1 | p n d
which, however, none were observed by me or any of my party.
I Wjjer saw this darinJ^OTmarauder on wmg without skying or
thinking « Tli'eW the miniature of the GoshawkV'' Indeed,
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 52S
reader^ the shortness of the wings of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, its long
tail, though almost perfectly even, instead of being rounded as in the
Goshawk, added to its irregular, swift, vigorous, varied, and yet often
undecided maimer of flight, greatly protracted however on occasion,
have generally impressed upon me the idea alluded to. While in
search of prey, the Sharp-shinned Hawk passes over the country, now
at a moderate height, now c.l'os«! over the land, in so swift a manner
that, although your eye has marked it, you feel surprised that the very
next moment it has dashed off and is far away. In fact it is usually
seen: when least expected, and almost always but for a few moments,
unless when it has procured some prey, and is engaged in feeding upon
it. The kind of vacillation or wavering with which it moves through
the air appears perfectly adapted to Its wants, for it undoubtedly
enables this little warrior to watch and to see at a single quick glance
of its keen eyes: every object, whether to the right or to the left, as it
pursues, it< fc:ourse. It advances by sudden dashes, as if impetuosity of
movement was essential to its nature, and pounces upon or strikes such
¡ÉÉgects as best, suit its appetite: ; but so very suddenly that it appears
quite hopeless for any of them Sa. try to eseape. Many have been the
times, reader, when watching this vigilant, active, and industrious
bird, I have seen.-it plunge headlong among the briary patches of one
of our old fields, in defiance of all thorny obstacles, and, passing
through, emerge on the other side, bearing off with exultation in its
sharp claws a Sparrow or Finch, which it had surprised when at rest.
At other times I have seen two or three of these Hawks, acting in
concert, fly at a Golden-winged Woodpecker while alighted against
the bark of a tree, where it thought itself secure, but was suddenly
clutched by one of the Hawks throwing as it were its long legs forward
with the quickness: óf thought, protruding its sharp talons, and
thrusting them into the back of the devoted bird, while it was endear
vouring to elude the harassing attacks of another, by hopping and
twisting round the tree. Then down to the ground assailants and
assailed would fall, the Woodpecker still offering great resistance, until
a second Hawk would also seize upon it, and with claws deeply thrust
into its vitals, put an end to its life ; when both the marauders would
at once/commence', their repast. -• •:
On several such occasions, I have felt much pleasure in rescuing
different species of birds from the grasp of the little tyrant, as when